And the exact same thing happened with the TFX in the '60, except it was proposed to also fill the air superiority role that the F-22 was designed for, and not the V/STOL one. The F-111, in the deep interdiction role, was the only surviving model.
Not clear the Navy or Marines had anything to do with this Charlie Foxtrot, at least prior to the decision to save money by having only one basic plane.
This is a common peacetime "savings" measure. Same thing happened with the M14 rifle, which had about the shortest time as a combat rifle in US history (although part of that was due to the utterly corrupt Army institution that procured it when pretty much every other contemporary battle rifle design was better, except for trigger pull).
Not clear the Navy or Marines had anything to do with this Charlie Foxtrot, at least prior to the decision to save money by having only one basic plane.
This is a common peacetime "savings" measure. Same thing happened with the M14 rifle, which had about the shortest time as a combat rifle in US history (although part of that was due to the utterly corrupt Army institution that procured it when pretty much every other contemporary battle rifle design was better, except for trigger pull).